The High Court Sentences Two Men To Life Imprisonment For Killing Poffader Hotelier
Enrich Williams (35) and Amatle Bareki (25) have been found guilty of murdering Leon Brits by the Northern Cape High Court, sitting in Upington. The two men were accused of being the hitmen hired to kill Poffader Hotelier Leon Brits on 07 October 2020. Leon Brits, a well-known hotelier from Poffader was found killed and his body thrown in a swimming pool in one of his properties.
The two accused were arrested after the coordinator of the killing of the victim, Jacques Van Vuuren, was arrested in the Western Cape, following an intensive investigation by the South African Police Service Investigation Team, led by the late Brigadier Dick De Waal. The two co-accused were charged with three counts, murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances as well as unlawful possession of firearms. The accused pleaded not guilty to all three charges laid against them by the court.
The two other conspirators in the killing of Leon Brits, his wife Suretha Brits, and Jacques Van Vuuren were earlier sentenced by the High Court after they pleaded guilty to the killing of Leon Brits. Suretha Brits were sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for her role in the murder. Jacques Van Vuuren, who was tasked by Suretha to find the hitmen to kill her husband, later became a key state witness and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with 5 years suspended for his role in the killing of Leon Brits.
During the trial which started on 22 November 2021 and concluded on 03 February 2022, various witnesses were called by the state. The court heard how the murder was planned, how it was executed, and what happened after the accused had performed their plan. The prosecution was led by Advocate Hannes Cloete from the beginning of this case.
The court sentenced the two accused as follows; count one that of murder, Judge Stanley O’Brien sentenced the two accused to direct life imprisonment, on count two, the court sentenced the accused to 15 years, and on count three the accused were sentenced to 10 years. The court directed that counts two and three should run concurrently with count one. The two accused are also barred from possessing licensed firearms in the future.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence, and appreciates the hard work done by our partners to present a solid watertight case to get a conviction.
Issued By
Mojalefa M.I. Senokoatsane
Regional Communications Manager
Northern Cape
053 807 4545/ 073 423 3539